Global ocean heat content over the past 3M years
14 hours ago
- #Pleistocene
- #Ocean Temperature
- #Ice Cores
- The Pleistocene epoch was marked by global cooling and increased glacial cycles.
- Noble gas measurements from Antarctic ice cores provide a record of mean ocean temperature over the past 3 million years.
- Significant cooling occurred around the Plio-Pleistocene Transition (~2.7 million years ago).
- Temperatures remained steady during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (1.2 to 0.8 million years ago).
- Surface and mean ocean temperatures show different trends, suggesting heat redistribution via changes in deep water formation and upwelling.
- The study estimates global ice volume changes between 3 and 0.5 million years ago.
- Enhanced ice sheet growth is noted around the time of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition.